Dr. Lee Jampolsky is a recognized leader in the field of psychology and human potential. He has served on the medical staff and faculty of respected hospitals and graduate schools and has consulted with CEOs of businesses of all sizes. Visit him at http://www.drleejampolsky.com
It is hard to say yes to life when you are decked by a chronic disease, a broken leg, a heart attack, or any other health challenge. But even while the body is under attack and trying to hold things together, the mind can be free. Jampolsky knows firsthand what it is like to be under siege: he spent months in body casts, fought addiction as young man, went deaf from an autoimmune disease, and was not far from death with severe bacterial pneumonia. Through these experiences, he found that his fear-based consciousness had to be replaced with what he calls "a life-centered consciousness."
The inner critic is us really comes alive when we are faced with health challenges. We allow ourselves to be hobbled by the fear of physical and emotional suffering and pain; the fear of loss and unwanted change; and the fear of death and the unknown. Listening to our inner wisdom, we can free ourselves from these fears by realizing that:
• "Most suffering is caused not by the situation, but by resistance to what is happening.
• "Regardless of what change is occurring, we can love more deeply than ever.
• "Since Life is everlasting, death and the unknown need not be feared."
Jampolsky presents many insights into how we can develop a healthy mind during a health crisis, including deciding to be a learner instead of a victim, deciding what to believe and what to value, and deciding where to invest your time and energy. Fear and hopelessness can be contained by fearlessness and by accessing the power of love. In sum, a life-centered philosophy and practice involves accepting that which you cannot change, seeing beyond your body, dealing with what is, knowing there is a lesson from Love in what is, sharing as much as possible, trusting in your inner wisdom, and practicing surrendering to Love.
